Rhea County investigators are trying to determine how a man found dead in the Tennessee River over the weekend ended up in the water.
“At this point, we’re not sure what the circumstances leading up to his death were or what he was doing in the area,” said Detective Chris Hall with the Rhea County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators have not yet determined a cause of death, but Hall said they do not suspect foul play at this point.
On Saturday evening, a group of boaters found the body of a man in his late 50s floating in the river near Hiwassee Island, close to the state Highway 60 bridge.
Hall said the medical examiner should have his report completed by today.
“Before we can move ahead in this case, we’ll have to wait on autopsy results,” Hall said.
Hall said the body has been identified, but the name was not being released pending family notification. He added that the man is from Tennessee but is not local.
Contact staff writer Kate Harrison at kharrison@times freepress.com or 423-757-6673.